Adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads of electrical components

ABSTRACT

This invention pertains to an adjustable die pair for cutting and forming the leads of axial lead components. As reduced to practice, in one embodiment the same die is adapted to form a lead component at as little as 3/10 inch pitch or as great as two inch pitch of wire centers. The die pairs comprise opposed sets of fingers carried on opposed base members. The fingers retained on each die may be readily adjusted without removing the base from the press or ram to which they are attached.

United States Patent Tepper May 28, 1974 [54] ADJUSTABLE DIE PAIR FOR CUTTING 3,593,404 7/1971 Ragard 29/203 AND FORMING AXIAL LEADS 0 3,753,280 8/l973 Blakeney et al. 29/203 ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS 3,769,823 ll/1973 Greenmger 29/203 1 t T [75] or Leonard epper Pa Primary Exammer-Lowell A. Larson Asslgneel g l l 'y Huntlngdon Attorney, Agent, or FirmRalph R. Roberts a ey, a.

[22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 354,897

This invention pertains to an adjustable die pair for cutting and forming the leads of axial lead compo- [52] Cl 72/326 72/473 QL A nents. As reduced to practice, in one embodiment the [51] l t C1 B2 45/00 same die is adapted to form a lead component at as 58] 72/326 little as 3/10 inch pitch or as great as two inch pitch of 72/331384 1 29/203 wire centers. The die pairs comprise opposed sets of D fingers carried on opposed base members. The fingers retained on each die may be readily adjusted without removing the base from the press or ram to which they [56] References Cited are attached.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,131,745 5/1964 Hotze 72/326 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ADJUSTABLE DIE PAIR FOR CUTTING AND FORMING AXIAL LEADS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention With respect to the classification of art as established in the US. Patent Office this invention is found in the Class entitled, Metal Deforming" and the subclass thereunder entitled, tool or tool-holder having adjustable face." Relevant art may also be found in the Class entitled, Wireworking and the subclasses thereunder entitled, crimping and implements."

2. Description of the Prior Art Electrical components incorporating wire leads are used in enormous quantities for all types of products including solid state control units. Since many of these items are made in high production, the cutting and bending of the leads for mounting in printed circuit boards and the like are made with custom designed tooling. This tooling is rather expensive and for a run of only a few hundred or less pieces is not practical. For this reason many short run jobs of a few to a hundred or so like pieces are made in a more-or-less handcrafted manner. Simple checking or bending jigs may also be used to assist in preparing the components.

Insofar as is known, prior to the present invention, there has been no adjustable die in which the cutting and bending finger members are retained by means whereby they are readily adjusted and locked to permit a lead length to be cut to a selected length and then bent at a determined pitch. The adjusted die, after setting to provide a selected lead length and bend, can be used for any desired quantity of components after which the die may be loosened and readjusted to provide a new setting for a different length of lead length and pitch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The adjustable die of this invention is made conventionally of two halves. A first or fixed half which is carried on the base of the press with which it is used has a base which is adapted for mounting to the table of the press. Four punches or fingers are carried in an upper groove formed in a guide portion disposed at one end or side of the base, the guide being at right angles to the theoretical center line of the punches. The punches are formed with mating block or support portions which are slidably retained in this groove. A slot extends nearly the entire length ofthe upper groove and connects with a lower groove formed on the underside of the guide portion. Retaining nuts for locking the punches in a selected position are carried in this underside groove. Ejector fingers are carried by and are responsive to a spring bar carried by this base. The ejector fingers are guided by slots formed in the inside pair of forming punches and are slidable in these grooves.

The movable half of the die which is carried on the punch portion of the press is a rectangular member which also has a guide portion formed on its foreportion. An upwardly extending tongue or rib extends by the forming and cutting punch portions carried on this movable half.

In addition to the above summary the following disclosure is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the invention. This disclosure, however, is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions of further improvements. For this reason there has been chosen a specific embodiment of the adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads of electrical components as adopted for use with a press-type apparatus and showing a preferred means for permitting adjustment of the forming and cutting punch components used therewith. This specific embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of illustration and description as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 represents an isometric view, partly exploded and showing the assembled relationship of the pair portions of the die in a mostly assembled condition and particularly the mounted fingers which are adjustable in the die of this invention;

FIG. 2 represents an exploded isometric view showing one-half of the die, this half being that die portion usually carried by the press ram which opens and closes the die, and

FIG. 3 represents an exploded isometric view of the other die half, this view showing the various relationship of the several components forming the fixed die half which is preferably carried by the base of the press.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience; these names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer to like members throughout the three figures of the drawings.

The drawings accompanying, and forming part of, this specification disclose certain details of construction for the purpose of explanation of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified without departure from the concept of the invention and that the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms than shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the adjustable die of this invention has two halves with one-half carried by the ram of a press, not shown, and the other half being fixedly carried by the base of the press. The press which is used to actuate the die to trim the leads of the electrical components being processed may be electrical, pneumatic or mechanical, as desired. The movable half of the die shown includes a base block 10 which is shown as generally rectangular in shape. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 this block has a front support portion which includes an upwardly extending key portion 12 in which the outer or front face 13 and the rear shoulder 14 are parallel and extend upwardly from the main body of block 10 to form a small key shelf across the full length of this block. In this front shelf portion 12 and midway of the face 13 and rear shoulder 14 is a slot 16 which enters or opens into an enlarged lower groove 3 18 on the underside of the slot 16. With the slot 16 this lower groove 18 forms a dovetail in which are retained nuts 20 and with two sides or faces of the nuts slidably retained in this groove. The depth of the slot 18 is made sufficient to allow the nuts to slide in the slot while the block is mounted to the ram.

A pair of cutting fingers 22 and 24, and interior and internal forming fingers 26 and 28 are carried on the key portion 12 and are oriented thereon by a small guideway 30 formed on the underside of each of the member 22, 24, 26 and 28. This guideway is sized so as to be slidable along the upper surface of the key portion 12. The relief portion 30 is sized to just mate with the front surface 13 and back shoulder 14 of the front shelf 12 so that the members 22 through 28 may be slidable therealong. Cap screws 32 are seated in and extend through counterbored holes 34 formed in a like manner in the members 22, 24, 26 and 28 and their threaded ends engage nuts 20 which are slidable in groove 18 below the shelf 12 so that when the finger is moved to the desired position and then by tightening the screws 32 they may be locked at this determined position. A protective cover 36 of sheet metal is formed into a Z-shape and by means of holes 38 in this cover and tapped holes 40 in the block 10 screws 42 are used to secure this cover to the block 10.

The mating or other half portion of the die is preferably secured to the base of the press, not seen, and as particularly seen in FIG. 3 includes a base block having a generally T-shape. A foreportion of this block 50 includes a front shelf portion 52 which forms the T-bar of the block. This portion has a groove 54 formed across the top receivingshelf portion. A pair of slots 56 extend through the shelf and into a groove formed on the underside of the front shelf portion. In this groove nuts 58 are slidably retained with opposed sides of the nuts engaging the sides of the groove to prevent turning. This underneath slot is of sufficient depth to permit the nuts to be slid along and in the slot while the block 50 is fastened to the base of the press. An aperture 60 of rectangular configuration is formed immediately to the rear of the front shelf portion 52. in this relief a block 62 is carried. This block has two guide rods 64 and 66 which are slidable in holes 68 and 70 formed in the rear portion of the base block 50. On rods 64 and 66 of block 62 is mounted springs 72 and 74 which urge block 62 toward the front or to the left. The springs 72 and 74 are tensioned by means of set screws 76 which are retained in tapped portions in the rear of the holes 68 and 70.

The bar portion 62 has a groove 78 formed in its face. This groove is disposed to receive a tab 80 carried on the rear end of a knockout finger 82. A like tab, although not seen, is provided on knockout finger 84 so that these two fingers have their rear portions carried in the groove 78 and by theface of front portion of bar 62. Cutoff die fingers and 92 are made with large block portions with thefingers extending forwardly and offset inwardly toward each other. The block portions of fingers 90 and 92 have these shoulder portions formed with a lower block guide which is a sliding fit in groove 54 provided on the upper portion of bar portion 52. Forming fingers 94 and 96 are also formed with enlarged block supporting rear portions and also have their undersurfaces formed with a guide portion sized to slide in the groove 54. Fingers 94 and 96 are slidable along groove 54 and at the same time each finger has adjacent to and inward of the forward protruding portions of the fingers 94 and 96 a slot within which the knockout fingers 82 and 84 are carried. Finger 82 is carried in the slot of the forming member 94 and knockout finger 84 is carried in a slot in member 96. Holes 100 are like counterbored holes formed in the blocks 90, 92, 94 and 96 and in the holes are rotatably carried socket head cap screws 102 which pass into and through the holes 100 thence through the slots 56 and into the nuts 58. The screws 102 are tightened in nuts 58 to lock the several fingers 90, 92, 94 and 96 in position.

In its assembled condition a formed guard of sheet metal is a cover portion which fits over the top of the rear portions of the finger 90, 92, 94 and 96 and is retained on block 50 by means of screws 112 which enter threaded holes 114 in block 50.

ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THE ADJUSTABLE DIE The base block 10 is customarily attached to the movable ram of the press. The cutting blocks 22 and 24 are loosened on the key portion 12 by means of an all en-type wrench which loosens the cap screws 32. These screws are loosened just sufficiently to allow the blocks 22 and 24 to be slid along the key portion 12 until the desired spacing for the cutoff of the leads has been established. The outer fingers 22 and 24 are then locked in position by tightening the appropriate cap screws 32. The bending dimension for the wire leads is now determined and the bending or forming fingers 26 and 28 are made slidable on the key portion 12 by loosening screws 32. After positioning the forming fingers they are locked in position by again tightening screws 32 by means of an Allen wrench. The screws 32 are tightened by turning into the lower nuts 20.

With block 50 attached to the base of the press the cutting fingers 90 and 92 are loosened by loosening screws 102 in nuts 58 whereby the outer cutting fingers are adjusted to just slide by the fixed dies 22 and 24. The cutting fingers are then locked by tightening screws 102. Fingers 94 and 96 are next loosened and are slid along groove 54 until the fingers 94 and 96 are positioned to engage the lead wires of the electrical component to cause the desired bending of the wires. The knockout fingers 82 and 84 are carried in grooves in blocks 94 and 96. The springs 72 and 74 urge the relief block 62 forwardly. The movement of the spring fingers 82 and 84 rearwardly is against the thrust of the spring 72 and 74.

Covers 36 and 110 maybe, but need not be, removed to permit adjustment of the fingers to be made. The fingers can be locked in position for the desired length of run with or without the cover in place. After this run the fingers may be loosened and reset for the next component to be processed. Once the block 50 and the block 10 have been aligned and attached in the desired fixed relationship to each other the relationship of the several fingers for cutting and bending is merely a matter of measuring, tightening and checking.

Terms such as left, right, up,down," bottom," top, front," back," in," out and the like are applicable to the embodiment shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads may be constructed or used.

While a particular embodiment of the adjustable die has been shown and described it is to be understood the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads of electrical components, said die pair including: (a) a first half having a base member adapted for mounting to the table of the press in which the die pair is used, said base having a punch member guideway formed near one edge thereof; (b) at least four punch members adjustably carried on said guideway of the base, two of these punch members providing cutting means and two other punch members providing bending means of the axial leads, said punch members being retained in adjusted condition by fastening means; (c) a second half having a base member adapted for mounting to the movable member of the press in which the die pair is used, said base having a punch member guideway formed near one edge thereof; (d) at least four punch members adjustably carried on said guideway portion of the base of this second half, two of these punch members cooperatively formed to provide means for shear cutting the wire leads when adjusted for cooperative action with the mating punch members carried by the first half, two other punch members cooperatively formed to provide means for bending the wire leads when adjusted for cooperative bending action with the mating punch members carried by the first half, and (e) a pair of ejector fingers carried by a biased means in the base in which they are carried, said fingers carried and arranged so as to be adjusted with the bending punches to be moved by the biased means to automatically eject the component from the die after said leads have been cut and bent and the die is opened for receipt of another untrimmed electrical component.

2. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 1 in which the ejector fingers have their inner ends removably attached to and carried by a bar-like member reciprocably retained by the pair in which the fingers are mounted, said ejector fingers being movable in a guided path parallel to the bending members, one of said ejector fingers having its outwardly extending end carried and guided by and in a slot formed in one bending member and the other ejector finger in a like manner having its outwardly extending end carried and guided by and in a slot formed in the other bending member.

3. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 2 in which the bar-like member which carries the ejector fingers is movable in a recess formed in the base and the reciprocable movement is maintained by a pair of guide rods attached to the bar-like member, said rods retained in slidably sized bores formed in the base.

4. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 3 in which the biasing means for moving the ejector fingers is at least a pair of compression springs and with at least one of said springs being carried on each of the guide rods.

5. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 3 in which the half carrying the ejector fingers is the half normally secured to the base of the press in which the die pairs are mounted for the cutting and forming sequences.

6. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 1 in which the base of that pair which carries two bending members, two cutting members and two ejector fingers has its punch member guideway formed as a shelf portion in which an upper groove transverse to the axis of the mounted fingers is formed in the shelf portion, said shelf portion further having a lower groove formed in its lower surface with this groove parallel to the upper groove and sized to slidably retain selected threaded members and in this shelf portion there is formed at least one through slot extending between the upper and lower grooves, and in mating cooperation with said formed shelf the bending and cutting members have shoulder portions formed on their shanks, said shoulders sized so as to be retained in the upper groove while slidable therealong with said shanks having holes therethrough in which threaded retaining members are carried and are adapted to extend through the slot to engage the threaded members carried in the lower groove, the retaining members adapted to be tightened to retain that member in which it is carried.

7. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 6 in which the base of the other die pair has its punch member guideway formed along one end thereof and includes an upwardly extending key portion and in the lower face opposite this key portion is formed a lower groove which is parallel to the key portion, said groove sized to slidably retain selected threaded members, and in said base there is formed at least one through slot extending between said upper key and said lower groove and in which the bending and cutting members have groove portions formed in one face of their shanks, said grooves sized so as to be retained on the key portion while slidable therealong, said shanks further having holes therethrough in which a threaded retaining member is carried and is adapted to extend through the slot to engage one of the threaded members carried in the lower groove, these retaining members being rotated to tighten and retain the member in which it is carried.

8. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 7 in which the threaded retaining members are socket head cap screws and the threaded members carried in the lower grooves are nuts having their groove-engaging sides made parallel to each other to slide in the groove with these sides spaced substantially an equal distance from the axis of the threaded hole in the nuts.

9. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 7 in which the base of each of the die pairs has retaining means for securing a guard member which is adapted to cover a substantial portion of the shanks of the cutting and bending members.

10. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 1 in which the punch member guideway formed on each base includes a shoulder means which is displaced from the normal surface of the base and the punch members have their shanks formed with compatible abutments, each guideway including a slot through the base with said slot entering a groove formed in the face of the lower base surface, said lower groove sized to slidably retain a threaded nut-like retaining member which receives the threaded end of a cap screw rotatably carried in a hole in the shank of the punch member. 

1. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads of electrical components, said die pair including: (a) a first half having a base member adapted for mounting to the table of the press in which the die pair is used, said base having a punch member guideway formed near one edge thereof; (b) at least four punch members adjustably carried on said guideway of the base, two of these punch members providing cutting means and two other punch members providing bending means of the axial leads, said punch members being retained in adjusted condition by fastening means; (c) a second half having a base member adapted for mounting to the movable member of the press in which the die pair is used, said base having a punch member guideway formed near one edge thereof; (d) at least four punch members adjustably carried on said guideway portion of the base of this second half, two of these punch members cooperatively formed to provide means for shear cutting the wire leads when adjusted for cooperative action with the mating punch members carried by the first half, two other punch members cooperatively formed to provide means for bending the wire leads when adjusted for cooperative bending action with the mating punch members carried by the first half, and (e) a pair of ejector fingers carried by a biased means in the base in which they are carried, said fingers carried and arranged so as to be adjusted with the bending punches to be moved by the biased means to automatically eject the component from the die after said leads have been cut and bent and the die is opened for receipt of another untrimmed electrical component.
 2. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 1 in which the ejector fingers have their inner ends removably attached to and carried by a bar-like member reciprocably retained by the pair in which the fingers are mounted, said ejector fingers being movable in a guided path parallel to the bending members, one of said ejector fingers having its outwardly extending end carried and guided by and in a slot formed in one bending member and the other ejector finger in a like manner having its outwardly extending end carried and guided by and in a slot formed in the other bending member.
 3. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 2 in which the bar-like member which carries the ejector fingers is movable in a recess formed in the base and the reciprocable movement is maintained by a pair of guide rods attached to the bar-like member, said rods retained in slidably sized bores formed in the base.
 4. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 3 in which the biasing means for moving the ejector fingers is at least a pair of compression springs and with at least one of said springs being carried on each of the guide rods.
 5. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 3 in which the half carrying the ejector fingers is the half normally secured to the base of the press in which the die pairs are mounted for the cutting and forming sequences.
 6. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 1 in which the base of that pair which carries two bending members, two cutting members and two ejector fingers has its punch member guideway formed as a shelf portion in which an upper groove transverse to the axis of the mounted fingers is formed in the shelf portion, said shelf portion further having a lower groove formed in its lower surface with this groove parallel to the upper groove and sized to slidably retain selected threaded members and in this shelf portion there is formed at least one through slot extending between the upper and lower grooves, and in mating cooperation with said formed shelf the bending and cutting members have shoulder portions formed on their shanks, said shoulders sized so as to be retained in the upper groove while slidable therealong with said shanks having holes therethrough in which threaded retaining members are carried and are adapted to extend through the slot to engage the threaded members carried in the lower groove, the retaining members adapted to be tightened to retain that member in which it is carried.
 7. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 6 in which the base of the other die pair has its punch member guideway formed along one end thereof and includes an upwardly extending key portion and in the lower face opposite this key portion is formed a lower groove which is parallel to the key portion, said groove sized to slidably retain selected threaded members, and in said base there is formed at least one through slot extending between said upper key and said lower groove and in which the bending and cutting members have groove portions formed in one face of their shanks, said grooves sized so as to be retained on the key portion while slidable therealong, said shanks further having holes therethrough in which a threaded retaining member is carried and is adapted to extend through the slot to engage one of the threaded members carried in the lower groove, these retaininG members being rotated to tighten and retain the member in which it is carried.
 8. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 7 in which the threaded retaining members are socket head cap screws and the threaded members carried in the lower grooves are nuts having their groove-engaging sides made parallel to each other to slide in the groove with these sides spaced substantially an equal distance from the axis of the threaded hole in the nuts.
 9. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 7 in which the base of each of the die pairs has retaining means for securing a guard member which is adapted to cover a substantial portion of the shanks of the cutting and bending members.
 10. An adjustable die pair for cutting and forming axial leads as in claim 1 in which the punch member guideway formed on each base includes a shoulder means which is displaced from the normal surface of the base and the punch members have their shanks formed with compatible abutments, each guideway including a slot through the base with said slot entering a groove formed in the face of the lower base surface, said lower groove sized to slidably retain a threaded nut-like retaining member which receives the threaded end of a cap screw rotatably carried in a hole in the shank of the punch member. 